Meet DIane Palacios, LPC LISAC, PMH-C | Owner & Psycotherapist of Palacios Crew Counseling LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with DIane Palacios, LPC LISAC, PMH-C and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi DIane, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The thought process of starting my own business was multifacited and my family life was a major decision making factor behind starting my own busienss. My husband had open heart surgury unexpectedly in June of 2020, right when COVID was ramping up. Our children were and are young, in Elementary School and I realized that my family needed more of me. I was working in a company that I loved working for and enjoyed for over a decade and had worked my way up in the company, however, I was giving so much of myself to the company and my family was getting my tired and worn out left overs. After my husband had his life saving surgury, my perspective completely shifted and I realized that I needed to do something that can accommadate my family’s needs as well as allow me to more present in my family life and cultivate deeper relationships with my familly. I wanted to be intentional with my family and live intentionally in every aspect of my life. By starting my own business, I could still do what I love, helping others, and at the same time work less hours, have less stress in my professional and personal life and be more engaged with my family. Someone very wise told me “Diane, you can always get another job, but you can’t get another family”. These words have stayed with me and were instrumental in helping me move forward with starting my own business. In our culture, many have the mentality live to work, not work to live and I want to LIVE.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business is called PalaciosCrewCounseling LLC. It is a play on my name, but also becuase I recently expanded and added another “Crew” member and knew that when I started, I would want to expand and provide clinical supervision and training to other Clinicians. My practice serves people ages 13+ .I am certified in Perinatal Mental Health and Eye Movement Desensitation and Reprocessing (EMDR). I work with a lot of women/birthing people and partners that are experiening Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders as well as Birth Trauma and loss. I am also a Consultant in Training for EMDR and help other clinicians who are working towards their EMDR Certification. I am working towards becoming an EMDR approved Consultant.
Something that I reconized about myself are my strengths and weaknesses. When starting my business, I knew that it was important for me to have an accountant, since this is outside my skill set. As I was starting out, I was learning how to use social media, and eventually hired a marketing team, as marketing and social media are also not in my rehlm of strenghts. I encourage everyone to get to know themselves and the areas where they are comfortable in and hire out for the rest. The first year of starting my business, I worked a lot of hours as I was building my business, I have been able to taylor my hours to fit my family’s schedule and hire another clinician to work evening and weekend hours so that clients still are able to be served depending on their scheduling needs. By having my own business, I have been able to spend more time with my family, volunterring with different organizations, serving on a board, and becoming involved more in my community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As Phoenix, Arizona is generally hot for most of the year. I would take my friends up to Flagstaff, explore the town, walk through NAU campus and head north to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and take some time to walk around and explore. Since connecting with people is important to me, we would take a long drive through the Navajo reservation and look at the beautiful monuments, explore the 4 corners, stop through different towns along the way and maybe stop for a night or two in Sendona and walk around Telepaque Village. Since starting my business, my family started RVing- we rent an RV and have traveled throughout the west coast several times. When I am in nature, I am able to soak up and be open to what I am supossed to learn by being still and quiet in the beauty of God’s Creation. I would take my friends on a similiar road trip as connecting with friends fills my spirit.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been many people along my journey that have been instremental in my personal and professional development and formaiton. At the age of 15, I was introduced to Neighborhood Ministries Inc, a non-profit organization in Phoenix, AZ that caused me to have a paridigm shift in how I see the world in many aspects. I was taught that servant leadership and grew tremendously in my faith. My family is my anchor and keeps me grounded and provides me perspective. My husband is my greatest support and also the person who keeps me in check the most.
I have had many supervisors in the past years that have encouraged me at the same time challenged me to move out of my comfort zone and have supported me through my professional growth.

Website: palacioscrewcounseling.com

Instagram: @palacioscrewcounseling

Linkedin: Diane (Crew) Palacios, LPC, LISAC, PMH-C

Facebook: palacioscrewcounseling.com